Toy vehicle having supported indicia thereon



Sept. 3, 1968 5. ROGERS 3,399,489

TOY VEHICLE HAVING SUPPORTED INDICIA THEREON Filed March 21, 1966INVENTOR. .Barara S Eager-s Un t d S ates Patfii Q 3,399,489 TOY VEHICLEHAVING SUPPORTED INDICIA THEREON Barbara S. Rogers, Whisconier Hill,Bi'ookfield Center, Conn. 06805 'Filed Mar. 21, 1966, Ser. No. 535,985 14 Claims. (Cl. 46-202) This invention relates generally to amusementdevices, and more particularly to mobile animated devices adapted tocarry and convey an article.

A'principalobject of this invention is to provide a mobile animateddevice in the nature of a toy particularly adapted to carry and conveyan article in the nature of a sign having humorous indiciathereon, themobility of the device and the nature of the indicia co-acting for theamusement and enjoyment of both user and observer.

Another object of this invention is to provide a mobile animated devicein the nature of a toy in which a single mechanically powered object maybe used to removably carry and convey any one of a plurality of indiciabearing articles or signs which are readily interchangeable according toa particular occasion.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide a mobile animateddevice which is relatively inexpensive in construction, simpleto'operate and humorous and pleasing in appearance.

These and other objects and features of the present invention willbecome more apparent from an understanding of the following detaileddescription when considered in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the device of this invention in oneform presently preferred;

FIG, 2 is a side view of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another form of sign for the device.

Referring to the drawings, the mobile animated device is seen tocomprise a carrier 12 and an indicia bearing article or sign 14 mountedon and carried by the carrier 12. The carrier 12, as best seen in FIG.4, comprises a body member 16 which, in the form of the inventionillustrated, has the general configuration and contour of a small bug orinsect. It is to be understood, however, that the configuration of thebody member, together with the decorative features as shown, are merelyfor the purpose of illustrating one form of the invention as presentlypreferred, and that any design of body member and manner of decoratingsame, such as a car, boat, human figure or any shape of nature, may besubstituted for that shown without departing from the scope of theinvention.

The body member 16 is hollow and is suitably supported for mobility by apair of wheels 18 mounted on a housing 20 which is secured to theunderside 21 of the body member 16. A third supporting wheel may beprovided if desired, or the device 10 may simply rest on a portion 22 ofthe body member underside 21 acting as a skid.

Inside the body member 16, the frame 20 is utilized for supporting apropulsion means in any suitable and convenient manner so as to drivethe wheels 18. Preferably, the propulsion means comprises an inertiapowered motor which is well known in the art therefore is not shown indetail, but comprises generally a flywheel which is rotatably mounted inthe housing 20 and geared to the axle of the driving wheels. Energy isimparted to the flywheel by rotating the wheels, such as by pushing thecarrier on a surface, after which, when the carrier is released, themomentum of the flywheel continues to drive the wheels until suchmomentum is dissipated. The carrier is therefore propelled along asurface for longer or 3,399,489 Patented Sept. 3, 1968 course, optionaldepending upon the manner of design of the carrier 12.

The sign 14 is held in the position shown by a ing means, generallyindicated by the numeral 28, the retaining means defining a socket 30between it and the upwardly facing support portion 26, there being anentrance opening 32 into the socket 30 through which a portion of thesign 14 is received so as to fit and be removably held in the socket 30,as more clearly explained be-' low.

The retaining means 28 comprises a raised cover, strap or auxiliary wallmember which has a central portion 36 disposed in overlying almostcontiguous or slightly spaced relationship to the upwardly facingsupport portion 26 of the body member 16, or to the decorative layer 27thereon, and another portion 38 which is either integral with or securedto (the latter being shown in.

the drawings) the upwardly facing support portion 26 around theperimeter of the central portion 36.

The latter portion 38 is interrupted over part of the perimeter of thecentral portion 36 so as to define the entrance opening 32 into thesocket so that the sign 14 is removable from the carrier 12, whereby aplurality of signs are interchangeable on a single carrier to suit avariety of occasions.

It is apparent that the sign 14 may be formed with a bent tab at a lowerend thereof which may be inserted into the socket to retain the sign inplace, the auxiliary wall member 34 being unslotted.

In the form of the invention preferred, however, the auxiliary wallmember is provided with a slot 40 disposed substantially centrally ofthe auxiliary wall member and extending from the part of the perimeterof the cen tral portion 36 which defines the entrance opening 32 to apoint proximate the opposite edge of the auxiliary wall member in orderto accommodate a portion of the sign 14 as more fully described below.

The sign 14 comprises a generally elongate member 42 having an indiciabearing portion 44 on an upper end thereof and supporting means 46 onthe other end. The supporting means comprises a base member which issubstantially flat and shaped generally complementary to the shape ofthe socket 30 so as to fit and be received therein through the entranceopening 32. The base member 46 is disposed in generally planarperpendicular relationship to the elongate member 42 so as to rest onthe upwardly facing wall portion 26 and dispose the sign 14 inupstanding relationship thereon. When so disposed, the elongate memberpasses through the slot 40 in the auxiliary wall member 34.

It is apparent that a wide variety of materials is readily adaptable tofabrication of both the carrier 12 and the sign 14. However, in the formof the invention presently preferred and shown in the drawings the bodymember 16 is formed of a rigid material, such as plastic or sheet metal,except for the auxiliary Wall member which is formed of a flexiblematerial such as felt or leather, but which has sufficient resistance toflexure to retain the sign 14 in place. The sign itself is preferablyformed of plastic or cardboard. Other decorative aspects of both thecarrier and the sign may be formed of any desirable material.

It is to be understood that the invention is not to be retain-' 3 pdeemed limited to the specific construction described and shown, butrather it is intended to cover all such modifications and variationsthereof as may be deemed to be within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An amusement device including in combination a carrier comprising ahollow-shaped body member having a generally upwardly facing supportportion, wheels supporting said body member, propulsion means mountedwithin said body member for propelling the carrier along a surface,retaining means mounted on said upwardly facing support portion anddefining a socket between said retaining means and said support portion,and defining an entrance opening into said socket, and a member havingan indicia bearing portion formed on one end thereof and supportingmeans formed on the other end thereof, said supporting means beingshaped complementary to the shape of said socket so as to-fit and beremovably received therein through said entrance opening whereby saidcarrier supports and conveys said member while the former is beingpropelled by said propulsion means. 7

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein said retaining means comprisesan auxiliary wall member having a first portion disposed in overlyingrelationship to said upwardly facing support portion of the body member,and a second portion secured to said support portion around theperimeter of the first portion except for a portion of its perimeterwhich is spaced from said support portion of the body member to definesaid entrance opening, and said supporting means of said membercomprises a relatively flat base member disposed in planar perpendicularrelationship to said member whereby said base member rests upon saidupwardly facing support portion and is retained thereon by saidauxiliary wall member to dispose said member in upstanding relationship.

3. A device according to claim 2 wherein said auxiliary wall member isprovided substantially centrally thereof with a slot extending from theportion of its perimeter adjacent said entrance openingto a pointproximate the opposite edge of the auxiliary wall member, said memberextends substantially centrally from the base member so as to bereceived in said slot when said base member is received within saidsocket.

4. A- device according to claim 3 wherein the auxiliary wall membercomprises a piece of flexible material adhesively secured to said bodymember, said material having sufficient resistance to flexure to retainsaid base member within said socket. 7

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,873,553 2/1959 Ullman 462093,292,291 12/1966 Kelley 40-129 LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner.

R. F. CUTTING, Assistant Examiner.

1. AN AMUSEMENT DEVICE INCLUDING IN COMBINATION A CARRIER COMPRISING AHOLLOW-SHAPED BODY MEMBER HAVING A GENERALLY UPWARDLY FACING SUPPORTPORTION, WHEELS SUPPORTING SAID BODY MEMBER, PROPULSION MEANS MOUNTEDWITHIN SAID BODY MEMBER FOR PROPELLING THE CARRIER ALONG A SURFACE,RETAINING MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID UPWARDLY FACING SUPPORT PORTION ANDDEFINING A SOCKET BETWEEN SAID RETAINING MEANS AND SAID SUPPORT PORTION,AND DEFINING AND ENTRANCE OPENING INTO SAID SOCKET, AND A MEMBER HAVINGAN INDICIA BEARING PORTION FORMED ON ONE END THEREOF AND SUPPORTINGMEANS FORMED ON THE OTHER END THEREOF, SAID SUPPORTING MEANS BEINGSHAPED COMPLEMENTARY TO THE SHAPE OF SAID SOCKET SO AS TO FIT AND BEREMOVABLY RECEIVED THEREIN THROUGH SAID ENTRANCE OPENING WHEREBY SAIDCARRIER SUPPORTS AND CONVEYS SAID MEMBER WHILE THE FORMER IS BEINGPROPELLED BY SAID PROPULSION MEANS.